In the 58th match of the Indian Premier League 2024, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) defeated Punjab Kings at the HPCA Stadium on Thursday. Virat Kohli top-scored with 92 off 47 balls. Additionally, it is RCB’s fourth-highest total in the competition altogether.
With his historic performance, which also saw him surpass 600 runs in the 2024 Indian Premier League, Kohli smashed seven fours and six sixes at a strike-rate of 195.74. Rajat Patidar, who scored 55, his fourth fifty of the year, provided him with strong support.
Pacer Harshal Patel took 3-38 for PBKS, bringing his total of IPL 2024 wickets to 20, and rookie fast bowler Vidwath Kaverappa grabbed 2-36, including an excellent Power-play session, despite the hosts’ careless fielding.
Ashutosh Sharma had a chance to dismiss Kohli from the third ball of the innings, but he dropped a tough catch off Kaverappa at point. After forcing the RCB captain to hole out to deep point in the third over, Kaverappa had the final laugh as Faf du Plessis started with back-to-back fours via extra-cover.
Kohli was given another life on 10 as Rilee Rossouw failed to make another challenging catch at extra cover in the same over of Kaverappa. Sam Curran was bowled out for 16 runs in the fourth over by Kohli and Will Jacks after the latter was caught sweeping to short fine-leg by Kaverappa. The pair had hit three boundaries between them.
PBKS dropped a third catch off Kaverappa’s bowling, though, as Patidar’s opportunity was ruined by Harshal Patel at deep fine-leg when he was on zero. In a 12-run sixth over, Patidar hit three boundaries off Harshal, and in Kaverappa’s last over, he and Kohli each took a six.
With three sixes in his opening over against spinners, Patidar escalated his attack and was awarded an additional life when Jonny Bairstow failed to react quickly enough to a catch behind. When he hit Sam Curran for six off a short fine leg, he would reach his fifty in twenty-one balls. He then nicked the left-arm pacer off the keeper.
After 33 minutes of rain and storm, Kohli reached his fifty in thirty-two balls when he hit a beautiful flip off Liam Livingstone past mid-wicket for four. To the pleasure of spectators screaming “Kohli, Kohli,” he kept up his authoritative boundaries coupled with nonchalance and legendary stroke-play.
However, in the 18th over, Kohli cut an Arshdeep Singh delivery to deep third man, falling eight runs short of his second century of the season. Before holing out to long-on off Harshal, who had already castled Mahipal Lomror and had Cameron Green miscue in the deep on the final ball of the innings, Dinesh Karthik smashed three rapid boundaries.
Quick scores:
Bengaluru’s Royal Challengers defeated the Punjab Kings 241/7 in 20 overs (Virat Kohli 92, Rajat Patidar 55; Harshal Patel 3-38, Vidwath Kaverappa 2-36)